The Angelic Devil
by loaned
Summary: A boy left for dead show's up at the Amazon's doorstep and is let in by Elder Khu Lon to heal, bringing with him a past with more questions than answers. How will he affect the R 12 universe? Violence and deep at some points. Pain and thinking abundant.
1. Chapter 1

I don't own Ranma or anything associated with it. There, I said it.

()-Chinese speak

''thoughts

""Speech

There, I also said it. Now on to the story.

The boy wandered for what seemed forever, the surreality from starvation and dehydration adding a small reprieve to his torn mind. Blood flowed freely from fresh wounds over his clearly visible ribs to his almost twig like arms and legs. Malnutrition made it's presence known in the boys fragile form and broken bones made it hard for him to walk and breathe. The wounds deepened and tore with every move he made, making the pain he endured almost unbearable. The slow limping stride aggravated his already mangled body and caused the youth to stumble through trees and thickets into a clearing. He rasped for air and his broken body fed the earth with his freely flowing blood. He painfully lifted his head and saw a gate with tell tale smoke pillars that meant fire and food. The boy tried to stand up but fell back down and brought on a new wave of pain that made him almost pass out. He tenderly felt around for anything that could lend him some leverage and felt a thick branch pass under his fingertips. Quickly, he drew it close and put his weight into it and luckily the stick held fast. Tiredly, the boy limped his way toward the gate and hoped that they would not turn him away like everyone else had.

-0-0-0-

The lookout saw the youth clamber his way out of the brush and fall to the ground out in front of the gate. She hazily tried to see why he collapsed but at this range from the gate that was almost impossible. She told the other gate lookout to fetch one of the elders and she readied her spear in case the boy tried to attack. He lay there for a while staining the earth red with his blood before he tried to shakily stand and fail miserably, proven by the moan of pain that escaped his mouth. He slowly felt the red earth around him and picked up a branch that fell under his hands. He brought the branch to bear on the ground and lifted himself to stand on the blood soaked ground. He smiled and started to walk towards the gate. The lookout brought the spear up into an offensive position and barked out to the now known bleeding boy,

("You There! Stop right where you are and state your business.")

The boy brought head up to see who had asked him and she noticed many scars old and new while there were also lumps and gashes across his face from a recent struggle. The boy looked at her through swollen eyes and said in broken Chinese,

("I sorry. Did not mean to bother.")

("It is no bother young man.")

The lookout jumped in surprise and bowed deeply while saying,

("I am sorry Elder Khu Lon, I did not hear you approach.")

The Elder looked at the lookout with a blank expression and said,

("It is alright young one. Have you found out where this young man is from?")

("No Elder, you have heard just as much as I have from the outsider.")

("Hmm, alright then.")

The Elder pogoed down on her staff to the boy's position to the shock of the lookout as she said,

("Elder! What are you doing?")

The Elder ignored her and instead concentrated on the broken boy before her. From what she could tell, he was around sixteen, had brown hair and dark brown eyes and was injured from head to toe. He had many gashes and cuts along his starved frame. He had broken his left leg badly and he also probably fractured his arm from the look of things. The Elder was also unsettled about something, but she couldn't quite place her finger on it. She gave the boy another once over and said,

("Hello young one. My name is Khu Lon, Chief Elder of the Amazon tribe Joketsukozu.")

The boy trembled and tried to bow but only succeeded in collapsing to the ground and falling on his obviously broken leg. He cried out in pain and tried to get up again and bow when Khu Lon came over and placed a hand on his shoulder and said as kindly as she could,

("Do not exert yourself child, I will forgive a lapse in formalities this once.")

She smiled and the boy tried to chuckle but instead coughed and sent blood and spit over his already bloody hands. The elder frowned and finally deemed it necessary to check his ki and see how bad off he was. The Elder felt that unsettling feeling again and finally understood what it meant. She could not sense his ki. Either this boy was at deaths door or he was suppressing it, which seemed highly unlikely so she went with option one for now, as it seemed the most logical. The boy's raspy breathing calmed and the Elder continued their conversation.

("So young man where do you come from?")

He looked up and stared straight through the Elder and gave her a look to say that he was gaging her. It seemed she passed because he quietly said,

("Japan.")

The Elder nodded and said,

"Would you like me to speak in Japanese?"

The boy nodded and she continued.

"Why don't you come in and let us take care of you child."

He looked up with hope practically flowing from his eyes and said,

"You will? I don't want to be a burden."

"Don't worry, you won't be."

The boy's cracked lips upturned into a smile and began to bleed a little. Khu Lon frowned and said in the best motherly tone she could manage,

"Let's get you inside."

The boy smiled even wider causing him to wince and Khu Lon to sigh. She let the boy set the pace as they walked the rest of the way to the gate and the Elder called out,

("Open the gate.")

The lookout said,

("But Elder, he is a man. How do we know he isn't a spy?")

The Elder stared hard at the lookout and said,

("I will promise on my word and my title as Chief Elder. Now open the gate.")

The lookout was shocked that the Elder would go out of her way for an outsider male and opened the gate. Khu Lon kept pace with the boy and they began their small hike to the village. As they were walking along, the boy said,

"I'm sorry if I'm causing you trouble Elder. I'll leave if I am too much of a burden."

The Elder looked at the boy and said,

"You are not causing trouble young one, and I won't let you leave until you're healed."

The boy smiled his cracked smile and said,

"Thank you for your kindness."

The Elder smiled and said,

"Think nothing of it. Now what is your name child."

"Koiichi."

"Koiichi hm? Well then Koiichi, you already heard my introduction so I will not bore you with it again."

"Well then, thank you for taking me in Elder."

He went to bow but the Elder stopped him by putting a hand on his shoulder, which caused him to wince and bark in pain. The Elder looked at him with sad eyes and said,

"Who did this to you young one?"

He looked up with old, haunted eyes and said,

"Do you need to know Elder?"

She looked thoughtful for a moment and then cracked a knowing smile. She said,

"Another time perhaps. We are here."

Koiichi looked up and saw a village that was bustling with the everyday happenings of life. Koiichi was wary until a few moments had passed and the Elder said,

"This village is the home of me and my sisters. You will not come to harm here."

The boy visibly relaxed and they began to walk towards the healers hut. They were getting close when it seems the injuries and blood loss caught up with him. He collapsed right outside the stairs up the hut and lay bleeding outside the door. The Elder sighed and caught sight of her great grand daughter leaving the training hall. It was a good thing too because the Elder could definitely not carry him up alone. The Elder called out,

("Xiang Pu, I need help carrying him. Can you help me?")

("Yes great grand mother, but why are you helping this boy? Why did you allow him into the village?")

("I will explain later, but for now help him into the healers, he does not have much time left.")

Xiang Pu came over and lifted the boy by pulling an arm over shoulder and dragged him into the healers home. The Elder went in ahead and left Xiang Pu with the starved and bleeding boy to drag up the stairs and into the modest home. She grunted and dropped the burden of the boy on the bed of the healer as roughly as possible and looked in dismay at her blood soaked clothes. She angrily said to herself.

("Stupid boy! These were my good clothes too. Now I'm gonna have to go out and get new ones.")

She inspected her clothes and noticed yet more of the disgusting boys blood and she huffed in anger. She sat down and waited for her great grand mother and the healer to come and inspect the boy so she could go home and clean as much of the blood off as she could. When the healer and Khu Lon entered they told Xiang Pu to leave and went to the boy to take a good look at his injuries. The healer took off his tattered clothes and began a thorough check of the boy. She went from head to toe from the boy and it seemed the lower she went the more pained she became. By the time she had gotten to his feet she had a disgusted look on her face and looked at the boy with pity she had never seen grace the healers face. The healer said,

("Elder, how did you find this boy?")

The Elder looked curiously at the healer and said,

("I found him outside the gate bleeding and about to collapse. Why?")

The healer sighed and said,

("Because whoever injured this boy made it so that he should have never been able to walk or breathe without being pained. Most of his ribs have been broken and his both of his legs have been fractured, one twice more so than the other and the other being broken. He has one shattered knee on the same as the broken leg and it also seems that he has broken his left arm and his right wrist. He has a dislocated shoulder on the same as the broken arm and has internal bleeding coupled with his external gashes and cuts. I believe the only reason he is alive is because the gods have pitied him.")

The Elder looked at the boy with an unreadable expression before saying,

("Has he any other injuries?")

("Well, it would seem that he has broken his bones many times before and that was why he was not driven mad with the pain.")

Khu Lon took this all in and said,

("Do what you can for him. I will hold an emergency meeting with the council.")

("As you wish Elder.")

Khu Lon left for the Council chambers and sent messengers to the other Elders. This boy required their attention, for she knew there was more to him than what he was letting on.

-0-0-0-

The Elders all gathered in the meeting hall of the Elders and waited patiently for Khu Lon to begin. When she entered, the entire hall quieted down and waited for her to begin the session. Khu Lon said,

("I have called an emergency meeting of the Elders for an important matter that concerns a situation that has arisen. Is there anything noteworthy of before we begin?")

Shi Lan, one of the oldest members other than Khu Lon said,

("We have heard rumors of a man allowed into the village and that you allowed it. Is this true Khu Lon?")

Khu Lon said,

("That was the reason I have called this meeting. I will address that concern later. Anything else?")

The council chamber was quiet and Khu Lon continued.

("I will continue on to the reason of this meeting. Today I came across a youth outside our gates, whose body was broken and bleeding. With the brief conversation I held with him, I learned he was named Koiichi and he hailed from Japan.")

The Elder held up her hand to forestall any comments and continued.

("I realize it may sound strange but in his state I did not want to pressure him. I brought him to the village to see the healer and learned that his broken state was put upon him on purpose. He was made so that travel meant extreme pain for him and that the only reason he even made it here without collapsing from the pain was that it seems his body has been broken more than once. I am pained to say that I believe he has sustained punishment like this before. Now that I have made my point you may ask any questions or put forth anything you see fit.")

The other nine Elders looked to each other and discussed amongst themselves until Sha Mei spoke up.

("Why did you not consult us first before allowing the outsider male into the village? For all we know he is a spy of one of our enemies and sent here to weaken us so his forces may cripple us.")

("I am sure he is not. But if you are still uncertain then you may visit him yourselves tomorrow.")

This time Sho Lin.

("Did you learn who forced these injuries upon him.")

Khu Lon shook her head and said,

("No, but I will ask him when he is in a better state of body and mind.")

Ada Nu.

("What about the boy's background? What have you found out if he has any family?")

("As I said before, I will wait until he is in a better state of mind.")

Nam Te.

("What of his age? If he is below manhood than certainly he cannot be a spy.")

Khu Lon sighed and said,

("He seems to be near or above my great grand daughters age, sixteen.")

This brought about another flurry of hushed conversation and Shi Lan spoke up.

("We have agreed on one final question Khu Lon.")

The apprehension was evident on her face and Khu Lon said,

("Yes?")

("We have decided to ask that you try the...memory sight on the boy.")

Khu Lon was shocked by the outcome but kept face in front of the other Elders.

("Why would you ask me to do this.")

Shi Lan said,

("This is the best way to know for sure that he is not a spy or enemy.")

Khu Lon knew this to be true but why? She looked over some of the faces of the other Elders and noted that most of them had a vicious gleam in their eye and it suddenly all fell into place. They hated men and they would do whatever it takes to remove him from the village, even if it meant killing him.

'Fools, they see nothing but their own blind hatred.'

Khu Lon knew that the memory sight allowed you to look into another's memories without hindrance, but it also left you vulnerable. For the process to work, both needed to be in a dream like state and were left sleeping alone and by themselves so that no one could interfere and hurt or remove one of the participants. They were clever to think up such a thing so as to put both the object of their hate and one of his few protectors out of commission. Khu Lon said,

("Very well. I will wait for the preparations of the memory sight and we will discuss the outcome.")

Shi Lan said,

("You have a week until all the preparations will have been made. Thank you for alerting us to the boy's presence Elder Khu Lon. This meeting is adjourned.")

All the Elders stood and bowed before leaving and left to go home and turn in for the night. Khu Lon pogoed over to the healers and knew that the situation was getting worse by the moment, but first she had to make a side trip to a certain great grand daughter of hers.

-0-0-0-

Xiang Pu was about to turn in for the night when there came a knock at her door.

'Who could it be?' she thought.

Xiang Pu opened the door and saw her grand mother with a worried look on her face. She knew this meant trouble so she let her in great grand mother in and went to fetch some tea.

("No time for that now Xiang Pu, we need to head over to the healers.")

("Why?")

("I'll explain on the way child.")

Xiang Pu was hoping it wouldn't involve the disgusting boy from before. He had already made her throw away her favorite outfit because he had bled all over it. Xiang Pu grabbed her bonbori and quickly followed her out of the modest home to that of the healers. As said, Khu Lon explained to her great grand daughter the reason why she was asked for her to come along and Xiang Pu felt she held her annoyance in very well.

("So I am to come along to help guard the boy?")

("Yes and no. You are here to guard him and make sure that no one tries to do anything to him, yes. Having too many guards around to watch the boy would attract too much attention to him. You are also here however to make sure that he settles in and heals without too much difficulty, for it will be a long and hard road to recovery for him and he will need someone to help him.")

Xiang Pu hated that her great grand mother was asking this of her but she kept her mouth shut and instead said,

("But great grand mother, he is a man, shouldn't he be able to defend himself?")

(" Not in his current state Xiang Pu. Also weren't you the one who said he was a boy.")

There was an amused glint in the Elder's eye that instantly vanished when she saw her great grand daughter's reaction. It seems that at the mention of the boy comment she immediately bristled and said,

("Yes you are right Elder, he is a boy.")

Khu Lon was re-thinking the idea of making her Great grand daughter his helper when they finally reached the healers residence. They entered the house and were about to enter the room when Khu Lon pogoed in front of her great grand daughter and said,

("Listen and listen well great grand daughter. You are about to see something very...unsettling.")

Xiang Pu scoffed at her great grand mother and said,

("I have already seen the boy great grand mother. His condition does not unsettle me in the least.")

Khu Lon sighed and said,

("Have you seen him without his clothes Xiang Pu? He has a multitude of injuries that you did not see in your haste to get rid of him and get the blood out of your clothes.")

Xiang Pu looked at the ground guiltily and Khu Lon stared very hard at her before saying,

("No Xiang Pu, you have not seen most of his injuries but there is something else. Do you know how he got his injuries?")

("No great grand mother, why?")

Khu Lon sighed and said,

("They were forced upon him by other men Xiang Pu. He was made the way he is on purpose.")

Xiang Pu almost smiled but instead said,

("He probably deserved what he got.")

She was rewarded with a rather vicious bonk on the head and when she looked down she saw her great grand mother looking at her very sternly.

("Foolish girl, you are just like those ignorant fools on the council. No Xiang Pu, no one deserves to be put through what this boy has.")

Before Xiang Pu could retort the door to the room was opened and her words died in her throat. The boy's body was covered in deep gashes and cuts that were being sewed shut at the moment. His leg looked to be angled oddly and a very sharp lump was sticking out of it. His wrist was angled funny and his starved frame looked so thin that he could have passed for a stick figure. His ribs were almost painfully obvious and they had bumps all along them, indicating they had been broken before. They also broke the smooth bump like surface at certain points indicating they were broken and his knee was swelling very badly. His arm was also sticking out with a sharp bump that would make anyone that looked at him squirm. His shoulder was sticking out at a weird angle and the worst part of it was that he was awake. He was staring with his swollen eyes very intently at Xiang Pu who was squirming where she was standing until great grand mother got his attention.

"Hello there Koiichi."

His intense stare fell over to Khu Lon and instantly softened and changed into that of a friendly gaze.

"Hello Elder, thank you for coming by."

"Your welcome. How are you doing?"

"Good enough, I've been in worse situations."

Khu Lon's expression became unreadable and she said,

"You have been in worse situations?"

He shifted his position a little and said,

"Yeah, I know it seems hard to top a situation like this but it has happened."

Her face fell and she said,

"I am very sorry to here that, Koiichi."

He shrugged his un-dislocated shoulder and said,

"Well, it happens."

"It shouldn't for a youth like you."

Her face showed a great sadness in her that Xiang Pu had never seen on her features. Xiang Pu was shocked at the expression while the boy just put a wry smile on his face and said,

"So, why is this girl here?"

The healer cut in before Khu Lon could say anything and said,

("I need to fix your shoulder. Here, bite into the leather, it usually helps.")

("Thanks")

The healer handed him the leather and said,

("Ready?")

The boy nodded and an instant later a sickening crunch and a muffled scream could be heard. The boy had his eyes clenched shut and his face contorted in pain until he calmed down a few moments later. The nurse took the leather and muttered something under her breath. Koiichi said,

"So I have Xiang Pu here doing what exactly Elder?"

"She will be here to help you if you need help or to make sure nothing-"

"Attacks me?"

Khu Lon nodded and said,

"Yes, as you know, you _are_ in an Amazon village and we have certain...laws I would like to avoid until you are all healed."

The boy nodded and looked straight at Shampoo with the intense eyes that made her feel like anywhere else would be safer than being in that room. He said in broken Chinese,

("So, you here to help me?")

She looked to the boy and said,

("Yes.")

("Well at least you cute, even if you hate me.")

Khu Lon and Xiang Pu both did a double take of the boy and before either could say anything he said,

("When you brought here, I was thrown on bed and you tried to get the 'disgusting' boy's blood off of your clothes.")

She looked to the ground in shame so she wouldn't have to look at him or her great grand mother. Khu Lon was eying her great grand daughter sternly while Koiichi sat there and let the healer try and set his fractured and broken leg. He hissed in pain as she set the bone and began to wrap gauze around the leg very,_ very_, tightly. Khu Lon brought her attention back to the boy and said,

"Xiang Pu here will guard you for tonight and make sure nothing happens to you. If you need anything, call her name and she will be here."

"Thank you Elder, good night."

"Good night Koiichi."

Both Khu Lon and Xiang Pu left the room and went out into the living room. Xiang Pu was still looking to the ground when Khu Lon said,

("Disgusting boy?")

Xiang Pu was ashamed at hearing her own words and said,

("I thought he was still asleep.")

Khu Lon's eyes flashed dangerously and she said,

("That is no excuse. You should never had said such a biased comment in the first place. Have I taught you nothing these last sixteen years?")

("I am sorry great grand mother. I will make sure it does not happen again.")

Khu Lon sighed and said,

("Why do you dislike the boy so much Xiang Pu?")

She immediately fumed and tried to think up a reason of why she hated the boy so much and just came up with a blank. Khu Lon let the girl sputter and bristle for a few moments before she said,

("Can't think of one, can you.")

All anger died instantly in the fuming lavender and she was left choking on her own embers. Khu Lon sighed and said,

("Not all men are bad Xiang Pu. If you hate this boy just because of his gender, than you are no better than the council themselves.")

With this closing remark Khu Lon left the healer's home and hoped to god that the girl didn't do anything stupid.

-0-0-0-

Xiang Pu was sitting restlessly outside the door to the boy's room. She _knew_ that she didn't feel bad about being so rude to the boy. She didn't care that he was probably knocking on death's door and she had talked badly saying he deserved what he got. She also _knew_ she didn't care that he thought she hated him. She was just peeking into his room right now for no reason except pure curiosity. That's right, just curiosity. So when she looked over to his sleeping form, she was just looking there out of curiosity, not concern. When the 'sleeping' boy talked though, her 'curiosity' was shot down and sent straight to hell.

("So Xiang Pu, could not sleep either, eh? Want talk?")

Xiang Pu 'eeped' and bit her lip thoughtfully before saying uncertainly,

("Sure.")

She grabbed the chair she had been sitting on and brought it in to the small room where the boy was. She sat down next to the boy and started the conversation.

("So, why couldn't you sleep?")

("Haven't slept in bed or anything soft like this for years. You?")

Xiang Pu looked to the ground to hide her embarrassment and quickly thought up a lie. She said,

("Can't sleep in a chair. It is too hard.")

He chuckled softly but ended up in a bout of coughs that left blood covering his free bandaged hand. He sighed and said,

"Going to have to get used to that until it heals..."

"Who did this to you?"

Xiang Pu had said it before she could catch herself and put a hand over her mouth. The boy gave her an intense stare that led her to believe he was looking straight into her soul and his gaze lightened up into a friendly look. He said,

"I ran into an old..."

His face became expressionless for a moment and then went back to friendly and finished with,

"An unfriendly acquaintance you could say. He turned the village I had come by recently against me and had them pummel me until I was a broken heap. He added a few of his own touches as well."

He 'pointed' to his leg an laughed a laugh with no humor in it. Shampoo said,

"This man sound like a real nasty person."

He started to laugh and cough up blood at the same time. When he finished with both he said hoarsely,

"Ya got that right. Ever meet anyone like that?"

Xiang Pu shook her head and said,

"No, thankfully. I have not been out of village much so only enemies I have are rival tribes women."

His eyes glassed over for an instant and he said very quietly,

"I should hope you never leave this village Xiang Pu. It's very peaceful here and you should enjoy that peace as long as it lasts."

Xiang Pu huffed and said,

"I don't think so. Village women always challenging Xiang Pu for right to village champion. It **never** peaceful for me."

This got a grin on her face and a chuckle from the boy. He said,

"Sounds pretty busy around here for you. At least you're not chased by a mob every time you enter a town."

She giggled and said,

"Oh you be amazed how many women challenge me for title."

The boy cracked a grin and said,

"I guess I might be, but some things just don't seem to surprise me any more."

Xiang Pu put a confused look on her face and said,

"Why that?"

He again gave the soul piercing look and again went back to his friendly gaze. He said,

"It's because most of it has probably already happened to me."

"Oh? Like what?"

He sighed and said,

"Xiang Pu, with the things I've seen and the stuff that's happened to me I wouldn't ever burden anyone with it."

Xiang Pu was confused more than ever now and said,

"Nothing worse could happen to you than this right?"

His eyes became deader than any corpse Xiang Pu had seen and he laughed in a way that made the hair on the back of her neck stand straight on end. He then looked at her and said with sadness in his voice,

"If only that were true Xiang Pu."

Sensing that this was definitely a bad topic, she switched topics to something different and hopefully better.

"So Ko...Koii...Koiik...Koiic-"

"Koi will be fine."

The life came back to his eyes and Xiang Pu giggled at the obvious play on words. She crossed her legs and purred,

"'Koi' hmm, who came up with that? A girl friend?."

He instantly dropped back into his dead eyes and said,

"Yeah..."

Xiang Pu was getting really tired of getting confused and said,

"What happened to her?"

He looked at her with an expressionless mask on his face and said with finality in his voice,

"You don't want to know."

Xiang Pu thought she probably didn't and said,

"Maybe you right."

There was a reigning silence for a moment before Xiang Pu yawned and said sleepily,

"You know Koi, you not that bad."

He chuckled and said,

"Neither are you Xiang Pu."

By now the Amazon had fallen asleep and left Koiichi alone with an amused glint in his eyes and a truck load of thoughts. After an hour of him trying to sleep and Xiang Pu's silent breathing he decided to do the gentlemanly thing. He got up and off the bed and put his arms around the sleeping Amazon in an attempt to move the Amazon. He started to move her with a bandaged arm and an equally bandaged wrist when she groaned and grabbed on to his borrowed shirt for dear life. He chuckled and set the girl down on the bed while prying her arms off of him at the same time, which is no easy task. This girl had a vice like grip on him and could probably give him a killer glomp. When he finally did get her off of him he took a seat in her chair and immediately began to doze. He noticed the peaceful look on her face and thought to himself,

' Heh, can't believe I was like that once. Eh Jokka?'

From inside the boy's head there was a nod and before the nightmares could claim him he thought,

'Lucky girl.'

The boy slumped into the chair and if anyone was awake later that night, would have noticed the lone tear that trailed down the boy's face and the muttered name,

"Setsuna..."

Koi- one meaning of the word is defined as- love

A/N: MWAHAHAHAHA. Pretty cool story eh? I bet a lot of you are wondering who the hell Jokka is. That will be explained later, as will Setsuna. And who is Koiichi? All will be explained in a plot more twisted than my sense of humor. MWAHAHAHAHAHAHA.


	2. Chapter 2

Khu Lon had woken early that morning to go and check up on her great grand grand daughter and Koiichi to see how they were doing. She knew that her great grand daughter had grudgingly taken up the job and had hoped that she could get along with Koiichi but she wasn't too sure. She pogoed up the stairs leading into the healer' home and took a peek into the boy's room. The Elder's eyes widened in surprise and then filled with a warmth she had forgotten existed long ago. There in the bed was Xian Pu sleeping with Koiichi sitting in a chair snoring quietly. She closed the door as quietly as she could and pogoed away chuckling at the scene in the healer's, thinking that maybe she had made the right decision after all.

-0-0-0-

Xian Pu yawned and stretched her arms. She knew this wasn't the chair because it was too soft and she was lying down, not sitting up. She opened her groggy eyes and found that she was on the bed in Koiichi's room and her eyes flashed dangerously thinking that Koiichi had tried to take advantage of her last night. She muttered very darkly,

("Koi...")

"Hm? Yeah?"

She rolled over and found Koiichi looking tiredly at her from the chair she had been sleeping on last night. She blushed very furiously and said _way_ too quickly to sound normal,

("Nothingatall.")

Xian Pu could not believe she had jumped to that conclusion about Koiichi who had just became very confused. He said,

"Slow down there Xian Pu, my Chinese isn't that good."

Koiichi took in her very flushed face and said,

"You all right there Xian Pu? You seem a bit flushed?"

("Yes.") I mean yes Koi, I fine."

Koiichi's worried expression changed to an amused one and said,

"Looks like you and me need to work on our languages."

"What you mean? I speak Japanese very well."

He laughed and said,

"Yes you do, but it's a little rough around the edges."

Xian Pu said bitterly,

("Oh? Your Chinese isn't that great either Koi.")

He let one of his genuine smiles slip in and said,

("Well that why I say we help each other. I work with you on Japanese, you help me with Chinese. Deal?")

Xian Pu surprised herself by giggling and saying,

("Sure Koiichi. I'm sure we could help each other.")

He cracked a smile stretching the scars lining his face and causing him to wince and touch his lips. Shampoo scrunched up her face and thought,

'Hm, I wonder where the scars on his face came from.'

"What these?"

He pointed to the scars all along his face and arms that could be seen. Xian Pu felt her face becoming hot and said,

("Did I say that out loud")

He chuckled and said,

"Yeah, you did. It's alright though, I don't mind telling you. So which ones do you want to know about? Each one has it's own fun story to go along with it."

Xian Pu looked thoughtful for a moment and pointed to the one that went from the beginning of his hair line and down to his eye brow. She said,

("How did you get that one?")

He felt along the scar and said,

"Oh, that was when I fell down this cliff I had been climbing and hit a rock. Let me tell you it bled like crazy, thought my vision had turned permanently red in my right eye."

He chuckled to himself and left Xian Pu to stare at him with the patented grew second head stare. She got her composure back and said,

("H-how about this one.")

She pointed to a very long one on his arm stretching from just above his wrist to just below his elbow. He smiled and said,

"That, I got with a run in with a tiger. That took a good number of stitches to sew up if I remember right."

Xian Pu was back to previously stated patented stare and did a once over of the stick figure of a boy sitting in front of her and wondering how this could have happened to him. She knew he seemed to live a troubled life but was it that hard? She filed that thought away for later and instead she kept on pointing to scars all over his body and listening to their stories until she came to the last one. It went from his lower lip all the way down to his chin from the corner of his mouth. She put her finger on it and she said,

(Where did you get this one Koi?")

He brought her hand down with his and electricity shot up her arm. She looked again to his eyes and saw that out of all the stories he had kept a happy face on, this one he kept in an expressionless gaze. He said,

"That one Xian Pu, is one I got from believing a 'friend'. I had visited the village I lived at before my travels and it turns out they held a grudge against me, including my old 'friend' there. He asked me to come out to an old secluded spot we used to play at. It turns out that he drew me out there so the village boys could capture me and beat me into a bloody pulp. One of them had a knife and before my 'friend' could stop him he cut my lip and mouth open down to the end of that scar."

They both sat in an uncomfortable silence until Xian Pu said,

("I did not know Koi, I am sorry.")

His light attitude broke the surface again and he dismissed it with a wave of his hand. He said,

"You shouldn't be sorry for my own stupidity and what the other guys did. There's nothing you could have done anyway."

The healer chose that moment to walk in and tell them that Koiichi needed his bandages changed. Xian Pu said that she would stay but the healer shed light on a certain part of the proceedings that made Xian Pu blush and stutter out an excuse to run to the training hall. When she left, she thought of the short time with Koiichi and wondered how she had become friends with a boy she had hated so much but now actually liked just as much as her sisters or maybe even a little more so. Thoughts of the boy were being tossed around her mind at break neck speed and before she knew it, she had arrived at the training hall. She entered the building to the bows of the younger girls which she returned until she reached the training grounds. Everyone there paused in their fights to wave and when she arrived to the back of the grounds, she waved over to her friends who waved back and motioned for her to go over to them. With a smile on her face she said,

("Hello Jai Na, Kan Lan. How has your day been going?")

Jai Na said,

("Well Xian Pu, we've been having a good day so far but we didn't see you all morning. Where have you been?")

She blushed and said,

("Well, my great grand mother told me to stand watch over the boy that has come into the village.")

The other girls eyes widened in shock and then turned into a mischievous glint. Kan Lan said,

("We heard rumors of a man coming into the village, although we didn't know why. Do you Xian Pu?")

Her brow wrinkled and a worried look came into her eyes. She said,

("Koi said that he was attacked by a local village and that an enemy of his tried to cripple him after the village was through.")

The other girls gave a speculative look at Xian Pu but dismissed it and instead said,

("So Xian Pu, is he good husband material?")

Xian Pu looked at her questioningly and said,

("Uh, I don't really know. From his stories though he seems to have done much traveling and had to fight a lot during them.")

Jai Na said,

("Really? Has he told you where he has been?")

Xian Pu concentrated and said,

("Yeah, he said he has been all over China and Japan and traveled a bit in India and a couple of other countries I haven't heard of."

Kan Lan asked,

("What has he fought? Did he tell you?")

("Yeah, he said he fought tigers and villagers and this crazy 'friend' of his that is intent on killing him. He mentioned a couple of other thing though, but I can't remember them.")

The girls looked at her funnily before Jai Na said,

("Alright, one more question.")

Xian Pu nodded and Jai Na said,

("Is he cute?")

Xian Pu turned beet red and started to sputter out something when her friends giggled and said,

("Alright Xian Pu, we'll take that as a yes.")

Xian Pu started to mutter about the stupidity of boy's and something about girls when a new voice interrupted her muttering.

"Hey I'm not _that_ bad."

Koiichi had limped his way over to them on crutches and in wore a lot less bandages than he had on that morning. Her two friends gazed at Koiichi with interest while Xian Pu's blush vanished from sight and she squeaked out,

("Koi? What are you doing out here.")

Koi chuckled a little and said,

"Well after breaking the laws of nature I was told that I could get out and walk around."

("But your legs-")

"They're fine Xian Pu. Some of the fractures have almost healed and the bone is set and healing as well. I should be walking in two weeks."

("Wow. You heal fast.")

He snorted and said,

"You're tellin' me. Who are your friends."

He set his intense soul gaging gaze on them and made them squirm in their seats like Xian Pu did the first time she met him. Xian Pu giggled and said,

("Koi, stop that.")

He looked over to Xian Pu and his gaze softened almost immediately. He said,

"Alright Xian Pu. So who are your friends."

She looked over to her two wary friends and said,

("The one to the left is Jai Na and the one to the right is Kan Lan. You'll have to use Chinese though, they don't know Japanese.")

"Okay. (Hello my name Koiichi. Nice to meet you.")

He bowed as far as the crutches would allow and the girls did the same as well, though did not bow that deeply, just nodded their heads to show that they accepted his presence. The boy shakily began to descend to the ground to sit when Xian Pu came over and said very worriedly,

("Koi, you shouldn't be out here you know. You should have stayed at the healers.")

Koiichi mock pouted and said,

("I need get out. It too cramped in there.")

Jai Na began to giggle at some unforeseen joke and got confused stairs from the other three people nearby. When she finally composed herself enough to speak she said,

("Well, I guess what you said was true Xian Pu. He is pretty cute.")

Xian Pu turned fire engine red while everyone else laughed, including Koiichi.

Xian Pu said,

("Well if he's so cute, why don't you challenge him?")

Jai Na got a mischievous look in her eye and said,

("You know Xian Pu, that doesn't sound like a bad idea.")

Xian Pu looked just a _little_ nervous while Koiichi looked from one girl to the other hoping this didn't involve his life or something like it. Oh the famous last words.

Xian Pu said,

("I was just joking Jai Na, you don't really have to.")

("Why not Xian Pu. It's not like you want to challenge him right?")

Xian Pu blushed and felt like any where else would be better than where she was right then.

("Well, uh, I suppose not, but still.")

Kan Lan said,

("Yeah Xian Pu. I don't see the problem with it.")

Xian Pu tried to find an excuse to get Koiichi out of the challenge and hurriedly said,

("Well, he is still weak from his travels. He should be given time to rest. Cmon Koi.")

Jai Na grumbled and said,

("Oh alright, you win. Just don't go off and challenge him now Xian Pu.") Xian Pu laughed nervously and said,

("Now why would I do that Jai Na? C'mon Koi.")

She roughly pulled him to his feet and started to half drag and half man handle him all the way out of the training hall, getting the occasional 'ow' from Koiichi and the ocean full of onlookers staring at the lavender haired beauty dragging the scarred and broken boy behind her. When they reached the outside of the hall she pushed Koiichi up against the wall and held him there with one arm while accusingly pointing her finger at him. Her eyes flashed dangerously and she said,

(Koiichi! Why are you out of the healer's home! Do you know how close you just came to getting-")

"What, a challenge? What's that?"

Xian Pu looked at Koiichi and said carefully,

("It's a thing that when an Amazon challenges an outsider and if that outsider loses then they must marry the Amazon. But they must accept the challenge, if not then they cannot hold Amazon laws to them. On the other hand, if an Amazon woman is beaten by outsider man then they must marry that outsider.")

Koiichi took it all in and said with a smile on his face,

"Well then looks like I owe you one for saving my butt."

Xian Pu let go of Koiichi and said a little embarrassed at her annoyance with the good natured boy. She said,

("Well, let's get you back to the healer's.")

She went to grab his hand but he hobbled away on his crutches. Xian Pu looked at him confusedly and said,

("What are you doing Koi? Let's get back to the healer's.")

Koiichi got a mischievous glint in his eye and said,

"Hey, you asked me twice now why I am out of the healer's and now I'm gonna answer that a second time. The healer has given me time to enjoy myself and play around town a bit. You think I'm gonna pass that up 'cause I almost got challenged? You'll have to catch me first Xian Pu."

He stuck his tongue out at her and started to hobble away laughing like a maniac. Xian Pu was a little surprised that a boy in crutches had just said she had to catch him if she could. She thought of the maniac on the crutches and said very darkly,

("Koiichi...I'm...gonna...KILL YOU!")

She started to chase after the cackling Koiichi and threw everything that came within reach at the speeding crutch boy. As easy as she thought it was going to be to catch him, it turns out he was very fast while using those crutches of his. As a matter of fact he actually escaped her a couple of times and had to throw things at her to get her attention. She chased him around like this for hours and by the time they had to go back they had both lain panting and laughing in the field just outside the village for a good fifteen minutes. Xian Pu said,

("How are youhuffso fast on thosehuffcrutches Koi.")

He laughed and panted at the same time and said,

"I kinda learned howhuffto run with thesehuffbecause Ihuffused to be chased around by village gangs when I didn't heal as fast as I didhuff."

Xian Pu looked over at the smiling boy who looked to just have the time of his life and she said,

("We better head back Koi.")

He looked at her and mock pouted. Xian Pu giggled and said,

("C'mon Koi, we gotta go.")

He put on the puppy dog eyes and said,

"Aw c'mon, just five more minutes. Please?"

His eyes grew as large as saucers and began to sparkle. Xian Pu sighed at the childish move and sighed. She said,

("Alright Koi, since you're so cute.")

She covered her mouth at the escaped comment and Koiichi smiled and decided that the famous Saotome foot in the mouth disease would not make an appearance tonight. They lay there in the grass in companionable silence staring at the stars until Koiichi got up and said,

"Ok. Let's go."

Koiichi grabbed his crutches and started to hobble his way back to the village with Xian Pu looking up at the stars and anything else to try and avoid eye contact with Koiichi. They entered the healer's home a while later to the quirked eyebrows of Khu Lon and the healer's and the happy face of Koiichi to the embarrassed one of Xian Pu. Khu Lon had a funny look in her eyes when she said,

"So then Koiichi, have fun?"

Koiichi looked mischievously at the Elder picking up the hint and said,

"You betcha. With a cute girl like Xian Pu here, how couldn't I?"

Xian Pu was radiating heat she was blushing so bad and when Khu Lon asked her if she was sick or something, she jumbled out a an answer in several different languages. Everyone in the room laughed while Xian Pu said something about boy's and Elder's being immature while stomping off in the general direction of the bathroom. Khu Lon looked over to Koiichi and said,

"Nice job Koiichi. Didn't think that you had caught the hint."

He chuckled and said,

"Yeah. Since we're waiting Elder, why don't you speak what's on your mind. You seem troubled."

The Elder looked at him long and hard. He knew she was troubled even though she was hiding it very well. This boy had a few tricks up his sleeve that she knew were going to make the next couple of weeks interesting.

"Yes Koiichi, I do have something on my mind. Your healing rate is a little...-"

"Weird?"

"Yes, a little weird you could say?"

"You're wondering why I'm healing so fast?"

"Yes Koiichi. I have seen Ki masters use their Ki to heal but they could not heal at this rate. I do not even sense your Ki and yet somehow you are healing faster than anyone I have ever seen before. Care to explain?"

Koiichi's eyed the Elder thoughtfully before saying,

"I'm not sure it would be wise to tell you Elder."

She smiled and said,

"Why would that be Koiichi? It's not like it could hurt telling me right?"

She chuckled but noticed one very minor thing. Koiichi was not.

"Right Koiichi?"

Koiichi looked very uncomfortable for a second and shifted his feet. He said almost so quietly that both Amazons and the eaves dropping Xian Pu had to strain their ears to hear.

"I'm sorry Elder, but it would."

The Elder's eyes widened in surprise and she said,

"Why do you say that Koiichi? What would hurt you if you told us?"

The one word stopped he said banished any questions about who he thought would. The one, simple word was,

"You."

No one spoke for a good few moments until Koiichi said,

"You can stop eaves dropping now Xian Pu."

Xian Pu 'eeped' and slowly walked out from the wall she had been hiding behind to see the two surprised faces of the healer and her great grandmother. The boy's happy features had given way to ones of utmost seriousness that aged him at least ten years. When he looked to the Elder again he said,

"You wanted to say more Elder?"

"Another time Koiichi. Before we leave, I would like to know why you think we would hurt you if you told us why you heal so fast."

He sighed and aged another ten years. He looked to the Elder again and said,

"Many have said they wouldn't if I told them. Some promised on their honor they wouldn't and in the end, they all hurt me. No exceptions."

All of a sudden, he dropped twenty five years off his expression and said,

"Hey, we gonna get dinner or what. I'm starving."

Everyone stared at the boy who had just changed face faster than the flash and wondered if he was completely in the right mind.

-0-0-0-

Koiichi hobbled his way into his room after dinner as if nothing had happened, but it weighed heavily on everyone else.

Flashback(Isn't it cool?)

Khu Lon had been flashing glances to the over joyed Koiichi at having such good food the entire time they had been eating dinner. She had been wondering why he could not feel comfortable talking to her openly about his past. Even though he had said why she still felt that no matter what she wouldn't do what he had said. When she remembered the memory sight and thought of the boy's open denial at talking about his past, she inwardly winced hoped he would not resent her after words. She sighed at just about the same time Xian Pu did. The boy paused in mid wolfing to look curiously at the two girls before reengaging his wolfing of the food. Xian Pu may have sighed at the same time as the Elder, but for much different reasons. She was wondering why someone she was supposed to hate and despise was turning into one of her best friends in a matter of days. As she kept searching for an answer she kept running more and more circles in her head until there a metaphorical trench in her mind. She sighed in defeat and instead looked at Koiichi inhaling his food at Mach speed and couldn't help but giggle. Koiichi stopped with his entire serving of rice half in and half out of his mouth. Xian Pu saw this and her giggle escalated into a full blown laugh. Khu Lon looked and started to laugh as well. The healer just shook her head and hoped that the pain would end soon.

End Flashback(Also very cool?)

Again tonight there was Xian Pu and Koiichi left alone in the healer's and again they talked. Koiichi and Xian Pu talked late into the night until she fell asleep and he lay tossing in his bed again, eventually dropping the Amazon in his bed and taking the chair. Tonight though, something different happened. Xian Pu did not let go. No matter what Koiichi did, he could not unravel the death grip of the Amazon girl. He sighed in resignation and plopped down on the floor and looked through the window at the beautiful night sky. He shifted his position so he could lay back against against the frame and hopefully wake up without getting mallet ed. When Koiichi's snoring reached a certain lavender haired girl's ears, she smiled and cracked an eye open and snuggled closer to the sleeping form of Koiichi and fell asleep. For real this time.

A/N: AHHHHHHHHHH! I'm sorry for the gushiness and all of the WAFFy moments. I know that the girls must think this is nice but I promise all the guy's out there cool thing will happen. Especially when Jokka makes an appearance. So please stick with me and try to wade your way the the sea of WAFF and sappy moments. But I have to say there will be more moments like this to further the story. Gah.


	3. Chapter 3

I don't own Ranma aand a half. If I did, that would mean I had a sense of humor. (sob)

**Anime watcher:** This takes place a month or two before the Amazon's competition.

**Also important:**This story will not fall into the rut of the last Chapter. I will reveal no more tha **Jokka** finally show's himself. Now, sift through the needed and boring beginning and get to the good part at the end already!

Khu Lon pogoed her way over early in the morning to check up on her two young charges. On the way over she had been mulling over the events of the past day and every time she did she only came up with more questions than answers. She sighed and opened the door to the healer's hut with a heavy heart and a heavy mind. She opened Koiichi's door and blinked in surprise. She blinked again and smiled to herself before walking out and starting her way over to the healer's room to give the two a couple more minutes. She silently cackled to herself as she opened the door to the healer's room and imagined what the two youth's faces would look like.

-0-0-0-

The first thing Xian Pu noticed was the very warm and very soft thing she was cuddling in her arms. It tried to move but she frowned and tightened her grip on the thing to keep it from moving. The thing started to struggle even harder and she heard someone gasp,

"Xian...Pu...can't...breathe..."

She finally opened her eyes and noticed that the warm and soft thing was in fact, Koiichi's head and that it was slowly beginning to take on a shade of blue. She blushed and let go of the suffocating Koiichi and noticed two things. One, The healer and her great grand mother were rolling on the ground laughing and two, Koiichi was turning a bright shade of red. From getting his ability to breathe back or from embarrassment no one but Koiichi could tell, and he wasn't saying a word. Xian Pu was turning an interesting shade of red and muttered about the idiocy of an 'old ghoul' and was immediately rewarded with a bonk on the head with the Elder's staff. Khu Lon said in all seriousness,

"Respect your Elders Xian Pu."

After scolding her great grand daughter, she went straight back to laughing on the ground with the healer and making a certain lavender haired Amazon add another shade of red to the wonderful world of colors as we know it. After the laughing finally died down, they made their way to breakfast with both adults sniggering or cackling and both youths turning stark red and vowing never to fall for the same trick again.

-0-0-0-

When they got down to breakfast, Koiichi quickly forgot the mornings embarrassment and quickly wolfed down anything put on his plate and made more than a few people nervous. Xian Pu just laughed and Khu Lon had chuckled the rest of breakfast. As soon as everyone finished the healer shook her head at the boy and told Khu Lon that he had to get his bandages changed. Xian Pu didn't make the same mistake as last time and followed the broken boy to the healer's and waited. And waited. And waited some more until Koiichi came out with less bandages and more energy than when he went in. He flexed everything except his broken leg and arm and went over to where Xian Pu was sitting. He poked the dozing Amazon with a crutch and said,

"Hey Xian Pu. Whatcha doin'?

Xian Pu started and on reflex put Koiichi in a strangle hold and quickly threw him face first into the ground. A couple of seconds later, a muttered 'ow' could be heard and Xian Pu finally realized what she had just done and muttered a few apologies before dragging the boy back up and onto his feet. He rubbed his head where the bump was beginning to form and said,

"Why do I always get stuck with the abusive ones?"

This got him a bonk on the head from her bonbori and a K.O. for the rest of the morning. Xian Pu realized again what she had done and dragged the uncouncious Koiichi all the way to the training hall grumbling about idiot boys and how abusive she was gonna be when he woke up. Going over to her friends, Kan Lan and Jai Na and dropping the comatose boy at their feet and sat down huffing. Both girls looked from the unconscious boy to the huffing girl and started to come up with some wild and crazy schemes before Jai Na said,

("What happened to him Xian Pu? It looks like he got hit pretty hard.")

Xian Pu hauffed and said,

("That's because he called me abusive. Serves him right.")

Both girls gave out a sigh of relief which wasn't lost on Xian Pu.

("Why? What did you think happened?")

Both girls began to blush furiously and started to stutter out an incoherent answer when a new voice said,

"What are they saying about us? All I'm catching is 'why did you do challenge' and 'was he _that_ bad?' ."

All three girls jumped and blushed that new color of red once they hit the ground. Xian Pu looked at the newly awakened Koiichi rubbing his head and back to her blushing friends. She stuttered,

("Y-you thought I-I did _that_ with _him_?")

Jai Na said,

("Well yes, that's what we thought...")

("Well you thought wrong. Who would do that with a stupid, loser of a _boy_ like Koiichi anyway?")

She suddenly had one of those great epiphany's that only the oblivious can have. She remembered Koiichi was behind her. She mentally kicked herself and turned around to find that Koiichi was nowhere to be seen. She blinked and rubbed her eyes and sure enough the boy had thoroughly dissapeared from sight. She looked at her friends who looked back with the same wondering look. Kan Lan said,

("Wonder where he went. Seems like he just dissapeared or something.")

Jai Na said,

("Yeah, that's weird.")

Xian Pu was in a panic saying,

("Where is that stupid boy. Arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrgggghhhh! If I lose him now great grand mother will be furious.")

The two girls looked to the fuming and panicky girl and then traded knowing mischievous looks. Jai Na said,

("Hey, Xian Pu! We'll help you find him.")

She looked happy and hopeful for a moment and said,

("You will?")

Both nodded their heads vigorously and Xian Pu brought both into a tight hug that squeezed the air out of their lungs. Once she was done she let them go to go and said,

("Thank you both! You are true friends.")

Jai Na dismissed it with a wave of her hand and said,

("Don't mention it. Besides, it's not like we were doing much here anyway.") Jai Na mentally cheered in victory and thought,

'You won't consider me much of a friend after we're through with the boy though...'

Xian Pu quickly set out to search the south part of the city, leaving Jai Na and Kan Lan to and search the north. The three set off in search of the missing boy with one planning on ripping him a new one, and two planning something entirely different...

-0-0-0-

Xian Pu had been searching for the boy all through the morning and straight past lunch. To say she was pissed at a certain brown haired boy right now would be a severe understatement. To also say that she was going to be just a little rough with Koiichi when she found him would be the biggest understatement you or I would ever make. So when she found Koiichi waltzing around on his crutches in the town plaza and saying she seeing red right now would surprisingly not be an understatement. She pulled out her bonbori and was preparing for a javelin throw at Koiichi's head when she heard Jai Na scream out.

("GET BACK HERE YOU COWARD AND ACCEPT MY CHALLENGE!")

Xian Pu ducked behind the building she had come out from and was just in time to see both the ragged and out of breath figures of her friends, Jai Na and Kan Lan. Jai Na being the former who had screamed out the comment and stepping right up to Koiichi and punching him in the stomach. He fell to the ground in a heap and tried to get up but was pushed back down to the ground with her foot. Xian Pu got out from her hiding spot and started to march forward toward her 'friends'. She was getting there but they were still too far away to get to right away so they kept on talking while Xian Pu was hurriedly making her way over. Jai Na said,

("Why won't you accept my challenge? Are you afraid of losing?")

She pressed down harder with her foot, pushing the air out of his lungs and making it hard to breathe for him. Despite all this, he amazingly found a way to sigh and said, though very stressed,

("Look, I don't like fight girls unless they do something very bad to me.")

("Oh? You mean like this?")

She pulled back her other foot and kicked him across the face. She did it again and again before she heard something she would never have expected to hear from him. Laughter. Koiichi was laughing like this was the funniest thing in the world which made Jai Na kick him harder and harder until eventually he stopped and a couple of teeth and and a good amount of blood came out. She smiled and said very sweetly,

("How about now you stupid _boy_, was that bad enough?")

Koiichi lifted his bruised and battered face from the dirt and smiled. He said,

("Not even close.")

Jai Na was getting really pissed and pulled her arm out to land a good solid punch to his jaw. She was going to wipe that stupid smile off his face one way or another. She punched him and knocked him right off the ground into the arms of the person she was least expecting to be there. Xian Pu.

("What the HELL do you think you are doing to him!")

Jai Na said angrily,

("Trying to get a challenge out of _your_ stupid boy that's what! He won't accept no matter what I do!")

Xian Pu looked to the boy's mangled face and saw swelling already apparent on his bleeding face. He lifted himself up from her arms and slowly began to hobble away. No trace of his happy and uncaring attitude was showing, only one of boredom and sadness as if he had been through this kind of thing more than he would have like to been. He was hobbling his way off on his crutches when Jai Na picked up a good sized rock and said,

("Don't you DARE turn your back on me you stupid man!")

She chucked the rock and hit Koiichi on the back of the head and he crumpled to the ground. Jai Na smiled as if she had won a victory and Xian Pu looked in shock at the girl and then began to run over to Koiichi. She kneeled down by his side and saw a very large gash at the spot Jai Na had hit and started to try and roll Koiichi over to see if he was still awake. As soon as she touched him though, something funny happened. Everything around them stopped. All the birds stopped chirping chirping, all the bugs stopped buzzing, all the trees stopped blowing and anything else that could have possibly made a noise stopped. That was when she felt a chill colder than any winter day descend around the plaza and felt it's coldness deep down into the essence of her soul, causing her to lean closer to the prone boy's body for warmth. Koiichi lifted himself off the ground and said something to Xian Pu that she didn't catch the first time because of the voice itself. She knew this couldn't be Koiichi's voice, it was just too malicious and aggressive to be the caring and nice boy she had met three day's ago. It was too cold and too uncaring, too vicious and too nasty to be his. She shook her head at hearing the perverse voice, trying to make it get out of her head and give back the boy she knew would never talk like that. She shook her head over and over until it hurt to get it's voice out and to leave her alone. When it did, she heard Koiichi's voice and smiled and looked up to see Koiichi barely standing and saying,

"...an Pu, you need to move. I've gotta teach this girl a lesson."

Xian Pu looked up at the smiling face and the comforting voice of the boy she knew and smiled. She nodded and left to move over to the shade of a tree to hopefully get rid of the typhoon that was wracking her brain and rest. When she fell under the tree and sat, she had mercifully passed out and left Koiichi and the two girls, who were experiencing the same thing Xian Pu was but were forced to stand to face the now enraged Koiichi. He looked at Jai Na who smirked and said,

("Is...thatenough...for...you...tofight...me?")

Her world was spinning fast and everything was coming in and out of focus. She began to stagger forwards when Kan Lan followed Xian Pu and passed out on the ground, escaping the pain. Koiichi smiled with no warmth ever reaching his lips and said,

**("Yes, you have Jai Na. I accept your challenge.")**

Jai Na smiled drunkenly from the effects that had begun to overtake her. She pulled out her Chinese swords and staggered just as drunkenly towards the boy who had just crushed both his crutches with a sickening CRACK and had a large flame aura burn everything in a good three foot radius. His clothes caught on fire and everything, including his bandages, burned and left him stark naked. He stood there, with fire in his eyes and said in a voice that no human could ever use,

**("Now it's time to finish this stupidity. Come at me if you will.")**

She was fully feeling the effects of whatever it was and staggered onto the ground in front of him and began to crawl forward, sword spear heading her snail like pace. Koiichi laughed a laugh not heard on earth for centuries and kicked the prone girl across the plaza a good two meters and said,

**("PATHETIC! You challenge ME when you can't even stand straight? Why did you even bother challenging me when you can't even beat me while I'm in a weakened state!")**

Koiichi had been advancing the entire time and by the time he had finished he was standing in front of her. He gave her a solid kick to the abdomen and sent her sprawling into a nearby tree, knocking her out. Seeing this, Koiichi dropped his aura and dropped to the ground on his healed knee. He breathed heavily for a moment before looking to the prone forms of the three girls lying around on the ground in front of him. He looked slightly abashed and scratched the back of his head nervously, saying,

"Looks like I over did it there, eh Jokka?"

Inside Koiichi's mind a disembodied voice(Always cool)said,

**_"You know, I'd have to agree with you, Koiichi Sure as hell didn't have to hit em' that hard. Man are you gonna be in trouble when those Amazons wake up." _**

The voice laughed while Koiichi chuckled just a little _too_ nervously and said,

"Yup, definitely went over board. Hope Ku doesn't sense us though, or she might remember..."

The disembodied voice nodded and left Koiichi to get some clothes on and find a stick he could limp on. He limped back away from the tree line and went over to the prone form of Xian Pu and started to experimentally poke her out of arm's reach and waited for her to wake up. When she didn't, he gave her a good prod in the leg and all she did was stir. He cursed himself and muttered, 'Definitely over did it,'before hefting the girl over his shoulder and heading in the general direction of the healer's home.

-0-0-0-

Khu Lon had left the healer's home in search of the ki spike that had just reverberated throughout the village. The healer was left blissfully alone for the first time in day's and hummed merrily to herself that the walking tragedy was now out of her home for the afternoon. She took this time to ready a shower and hope no one interrupted her.

Unfortunately, god had other plans for her, as the saying would go. Halfway through her shower there was a knock on her door that kept going until she was forced out of the shower to answer the door in a towel. She turned off the shower and ran out and said,

("COMING!")

She was grumbling all the way and when the knocking didn't stop, she all but screamed out,

("I SAID I"M COMING.")

The healer opened the door and was about to scold whoever was there when she noticed two things.

Koiichi was carrying Xian Pu over his shoulder while nervously smiling and,

He did not have any bandages on him and was wearing clothes that were not his own.

"Uh, a little help here?"

He began to stagger and the healer caught him and helped him carry the girl inside while he limped in and set himself into his room to watch over her. The healer dropped her onto his bed and said,

("Okay Koiichi, what happened now?")

Koiichi scratched the back of his head nervously and said,

"Well, um ah, I think, well, um, I-"

"Yes Koiichi, what happened to these girls?"

The healer jumped and knew that being involved with this kid was shortening her life span. She calmed her racing heart and processing the Elder's choice of words said,

("Girls Elder? How many others were involved?")

The question answered itself when two Amazons came in carrying two unconscious girls. The healer sighed and said,

("This had better be one hell of an explanation kid...")

"Yes Koiichi, it had better be."

Koiichi looked nervously at the Elder and said,

"Well, um, there was this light and it all got cold and then-"

"Do not lie Koiichi."

She sighed and knew that even though this wasn't the best time to bring it up, it was also the best opportunity to slip in the memory sight.

"Koiichi, by chance, and I'm guessing you wouldn't, but do you know what a memory sight is?"

His smiled faded and his eyes took on a looks similar to flint. In fact, his eyes had begun to change to a color similar to flint until he took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He let out the breath and opened them to find a surprised Elder who had not missed the change. For a youth's eyes to change from a friendly light brown to a deep, malicious black certainly was not normal, no matter if you used magic or not. The boy nodded and said,

(("By chance Elder, yes, I would know of it."))

She nodded and said,

(("Then you would now what we plan on doing?"))

His eyes actually flashed briefly red before he sighed again and closed his eyes. The Elder was beginning to become just a little nervous at the boy's changing eyes and said was about to say something when the healer said,

("Um Elder? Why are you speaking in the old tongue?")

The Elder looked up at her and was shocked to find that she was speaking old tongue with the boy who couldn't speak a lick of Chinese straight. She looked to the boy and began to feel something very odd. At the beginning, she had been used to not being able to sense his ki or aura. She thought that unsettling feeling was because of that, but now she realized it was because she _could_, it was small but there. She concentrated all of her energy into reading the aura, and when she did, she opened her eyes in fear and began to cower back from the sitting boy. The Amazons awake in the room looked around in fear and shock at seeing their Elder act so fearful and wondered what could have caused such a reaction. The Elder sat in a corner hugging her staff as if it was her only life line and pointed at the boy with a withered hand. She said very quietly,

("I-It's _you_! Why a-are you...")

At that point, she started to mutter out something incoherent when the healer took a step closer and said,

("Please Elder, calm down. What has caused you to be so fearful?")

She came over to the fear induced woman and listened carefully to the ramblings of the Elder. She sat there with the Elder after a few moments and turned whiter than any of her bed sheets. She joined the Elder in her cowering and stuttered out,

("K-K-K-Koiichi! Y-y-y-your a dem-")

She was cut off by a flurry of motion that ended in the blink of an eye and left only the boy, the healer, the Elder and Xian Pu.

("-mon")

She finished lamely as she noticed the change of people in the room. She looked up into the face of not the broken boy she had met mere day's before and actually liked. No, she looked up into a face completely devoid of any emotion and eyes filled with hate that only a person betrayed and hurt in unimaginable ways could. His eyes though didn't only display hate, but the fires of hell replaced his pupils and the rest of his eyes were covered in a blackness that you could fall in forever and never see the bottom. His battered and bleeding face was covered with black tattoos that etched around his face like black flames and gave him an almost etheral and animalistic look. His body was much more defined and muscular and his body almost bled the power it radiated. The 'boy' began chanting and slowly brought his hands around in a series of articulate gestures that led the room to be covered in bright red runes that lights danced around like their was fire behind them. This brought the Elder out of her fear induced cowering and caused her to yell,

("WHAT ARE YOU DOING JOKKA? Why are you still using that poor boy? Hasn't he been through enough?")

He stopped in mid chanting and sighed and forced his hellish eyes to fall upon the Elder. He said,

**(("I am sorry Khu Lon that I am still haunting his body. Though there have been...changes since our last meeting. All will be explained"))**

He re-engaged his chanting and coupled with his few words that had caused a coldness to seep into all the souls surrounding him, Khu Lon realized what he was doing.

("Jokka you fool! Why are you using the memory sight with these two here!")

Jokka kept going anyway and finished completing the chant. He sighed as well as a Demon could express emotion. He said,

**(("And so it shall be revealed."))**

Unbeknownst to everyone, Xian Pu had woken to hear the Demon's words. She groggily shifted her eyes on the Demon and muttered out,

("Koiichi?")

She covered her eyes as a blinding flash engulfed everything in the room and sent her into brief blindness before her mind overloaded and sent her into blackness.

-0-0-0-

Khu Lon looked at the blackness that surrounded all of them and looked over to see everyone from the room, with the exception of one Demon and one boy. She sighed and hopped over to the healer and her great grand daughter who was looking very confused. The healer was looking all around her and sighed. She muttered,

"I need a new job."

When Xian Pu saw her great grand mother she smiled and said,

"Hello great grand mother. Do you know where we are?"

Khu Lon sighed and said,

"Yes I do. But while we wait for Koiichi and Jokka to show up, why don't you tell me about what happened this afternoon between Koiichi and those girls."

Xian Pu nodded and retold the event as best as she could and Khu Lon nodded grimly and said,

"Well then, I can see why he did that. Koiichi never did like being hit by rocks."

The healer scoffed and said,

"Who does?"

Both ignored her sarcastic comment and Xian Pu said,

"You knew Koiichi, great grand mother?"

The Elder nodded and said,

"Yes, I met him a long time ago."

The healer sighed and said,

"So then, he really is a Demon."

Xian Pu's eyes widened in shock and screamed,

"WHAT!"

"Yeah, apparently, we get to add another stitch to the belt of that ."

Khu Lon bonked the healer on the head with her staff and said,

"You should speak respectfully about your Elders."

Xian Pu's and the healer's faces faulted and the healer said,

"What do you mean 'speak respectfully about your Elders'? The kid doesn't look a day over sixteen!"

Xian Pu nodded vigorously and said,

"Yes great grand mother, he looks no older than me!"

The Elder shook her head in sadness and said,

"No no no. You don't understand. You see Koiichi-"

"Is right behind you."

All three girls jumped and 'eeped' as a pre teen Koiichi made his presence known. The girls looked behind them to see a little Koiichi being followed by a Demon big enough to overshadow their entire village. The girls began to back away and Koiichi said,

"Ya know Jokka, I think you should change inta me. I don't think they like you like that."

The Demon chuckled and said

"**Alright Koi, I guess I had my fun."**

The Demon, who no one could really describe when he was that big, shrunk down into the boy they had all seen in the healer's home. He regarded the women with as friendly a smile a Demon could produce and said,

**"Well ladies, I'm sure you have a few questions for me."**

Khu Lon started the questions off with an answer of her own by bonking the Demon on the head with her staff and said,

"Yes I do. Why are we all speaking the same language and why in the gods did you do this?"

The Demon rubbed his head and said,

**"Well to answer your first question, in any memory sight you will adopt the language of the the person you are connecting with. I would understand why you would not know this. The answer to your second question is to show you something."**

The three women quirked their eye brows and Khu Lon said,

"Show us What Jokka? How you polluted Koiichi's life with your own greed to live."

Jokka winced and said,

**"Yes and no Elder. You three, Follow me."**

Jokka began to move away from them and all three women began to follow. During the speech, little Koiichi dissapeared and all the women thought he had left when there was tug at the back of Xian Pu's clothes. She looked down to see little Koiichi beaming up at her saying excitedly,

"Xian Pu, Xian Pu! Come and meet my friend!"

Koiichi began to tug on her clothes and she smiled. Even though she was wary from having just learned that he was a Demon, she couldn't resist the little boy's enthusiasm and charm. She looked over to see Jokka laughing and saying,

**"I don't mind. Go and have fun you two. Who are you bringing her to see Koiichi?"**

Koiichi looked up to the Demon excitedly and said,

"Setsuna! I'm bringing her to see Setsuna!"

The Demon let a little sadness and worry creep through his smile and said,

**"Alright then, play nice though."**

Little Koiichi stuck his tongue out and quickly dragged Xian Pu away into the darkness and dissapeared. Khu Lon looked thoughtful for a moment and said,

"Setsuna...Setsuna...Setsun-"

She stopped mid word and said,

"Oh my gods. Does he mean-"

Jokka cut her off by saying,

**"Yes Khu Lon, he means _that _Setsuna. That is one of the reasons you're here."**

The healer looked confused as ever at the sad knowing look being shared between between both Demon and Elder and said,

"I'm missing something, aren't I?"

Both looked at her in a 'you don't wanna know' look and she knew she wasn't gonna last the week without needing therapy. She sighed and said,

"I'm gonna find out anyway, right?"

The Demon nodded and she said,

"Alright then, just hurry it up already."

The Demon smiled and said,

**"You know, just for you, I'll take my time."**

The healer groaned and followed the cackling Demon into the first of many memories they would see that night.

-0-0-0-

Koiichi led the Amazon girl through the darkness to a light at the center of the black. She felt a tingle overcome her body as she neared the light and when she opened her eyes, she gasped and saw that she was now smaller and just about the same age as Koiichi. He laughed a pure laugh that only a child can and said,

"C'mon hurry up Xian Pu. Setsuna's in the garden!"

"Garden?"

All of a sudden, she entered the light and blinked away the drastic change in brightness and looked down across the valley. She looked around and saw the most beautiful garden she had ever seen. It had every flower she had ever seen and even some she hadn't. It had fruits and vegetables of all kinds and a beach with a long, sandy white line escaping into the horizon. The waves were lapping softly onto shore creating a very calming effect that seemed to wash away the pains of life and set you in a peace so calming that nothing could possibly break it. She watched as little Koiichi tugged her to a figure in the distance. The figure turned and saw the boy running towards her and smiled brightly at the approaching two. She seemed to be the same age as Koiichi and Xian Pu but something about her seemed...older. She grabbed the little boy in a bear hug and ruffled his hair saying,

"Where have you been, huh? I've been playin' here all alone because you were late."

There was no hint of anger or meanness in her words, but the boy saddened and said,

"I'm sorry, I had to do something."

The girl smiled and said,

"Apology accepted. Now why don't you introduce your friend, hm?"

The boy brightened and smiled. He said

"Okay. Xian Pu, meet Setsuna. Setsuna, Xian Pu."

The girls shaked hands and the only one who truly kenw what the weight of what this meeting meant was in a ten year old mindset without a care in the world.

A/N: HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. Left you off in a bad way didn't I? Oh well,

I'm gonna let you squirm. 0. Thanks for all the comments. Till' next time. And to answer **Darkman version 3 , **I believe the story answered itself.


	4. Chapter 4

Sorry everyone. I have had a _BITCH_ of school year. Expect me to update within one to two weeks. If not, I give you permission to hunt me down and bash my head in.


End file.
